“I’m sorry about that for you girls,” Marlo murmured.
“How about this not be about Mum?” Blake suggested. “May she rest in peace.” She lifted her glass of wine. “But here’s to happy futures for those of us who remain.”
Any concern about the awkwardness of the dinner drained away from Marlo and her smile was fantastic.
Ned’s smile could light an auditorium.
They all lifted their glasses, clinked, there were some “hear hears” and “to the futures” before they drank.
“Now, we have to lay ground rules,” Blake declared after she put her wineglass down and went after her meal again. “For me, it’s that you can only be visibly annoyed the third time I ask you for tickets to a fashion show and you’re put on the spot to have to refuse me.”
More laughter from Marlo while Ned gazed at his daughter with open pride and adoration.
“I think I can probably get my hands on some tickets for you for whatever show you want,” Marlo said. “I know we’ve agreed not to mention Helena, but you are the new Lady Norton, and I can imagine the designers will be happy to court you.”
Blake swallowed the bite she took and replied, “Oh, I intend to throw my new title around profusely to get my way. Just you wait.”
And more laughter from the table.
Now everyone was relaxed.
Including Dair.
He draped his arm around his woman’s chair as well.
“My ground rules are,” Alex piped up, “you can’t be upset that I don’t ask for tickets to fashion shows.”
Marlo turned a smile on her, but Blake said, “Oh my God. Think of Chloe. She’ll kill you if she knew you said that.”
“Chloe can get her own tickets. She’s got some connections,” Alex retorted.
“So true,” Blake said and placed more puff pastry, mushrooms and tarragon sauce in her mouth.
“Are you coming with us to the match?” Alex asked Marlo.
Marlo glanced at Dair. “I’d love to, if you don’t mind.”
“I can get another ticket,” Dair told her. “Rugby fan?”
“Ned stop listening,” Marlo ordered.
“It is not lost on me you enjoy watching fit men tackling each other any way you can find them,” Ned teased.
“Okay then, yes,” Marlo said to Dair. “I’m a rugby fan. Sports on the whole. My favorite is tennis, because, you know, those male tennis players’ legs.”
More laughter erupted from their table.
“But rugby is a close second,” Marlo finished. “But only partly because of their legs.”
And still more laughter.
“Perfect for you, Dad,” Blake noted, then told Marlo something she probably already knew. “He’ll watch anything that keeps score.”
“Yes,” Ned said quietly, sharing a private look publicly with Marlo. “Perfect.”
This led to Blake and Alex sharing a private look publicly, and it might not be the same.
But it was just as happy.
